Smart signboard-based notification system

Abstract

Disclosed are techniques for notifying a user of a wireless mobile device of the contents of a signboard. In an aspect, the wireless mobile device receives a notification in a broadcast message transmitted on a broadcast channel of a short-range wireless network, the notification representing the contents of the signboard, decodes the notification without connecting to the short-range wireless network, and provides data representing the notification to the user of the wireless mobile device. In an aspect, a wireless access point coupled to the signboard encodes the notification in the broadcast message transmitted on the broadcast channel of the short-range wireless network supported by the wireless access point and broadcasts the notification in the broadcast message transmitted on the broadcast channel of the short-range wireless network.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of notifying a user of a wireless mobile device of contents of a signboard, comprising:
 downloading, by the wireless mobile device, a lookup table of signboard warning messages; 
 receiving, at the wireless mobile device, a notification in a vendor-specific information element of a broadcast message transmitted on a broadcast channel of a short-range wireless network, wherein the vendor-specific information element is reserved for conveying information other than information defined by a short-range wireless network standard, wherein the vendor-specific information element includes a primary bitmask indicating that the notification is included in the broadcast message and a secondary bitmask representing an index to the lookup table of signboard warning messages, and wherein an entry in the lookup table corresponding to the index represents the contents of the signboard; 
 decoding, by the wireless mobile device, the notification in the broadcast message transmitted on the broadcast channel of the short-range wireless network without connecting to the short-range wireless network; and 
 providing, by the wireless mobile device, data representing the notification to the user of the wireless mobile device based on the entry in the lookup table corresponding to the index. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein information identifying an access point supporting the short-range wireless network and information to enable the wireless mobile device to connect to the short-range wireless network is transmitted on the broadcast channel. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the providing comprises:
 displaying the data representing the notification on a user interface of the wireless mobile device; and 
 playing an audible or tactile alert to alert the user that the data representing the notification is being displayed. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the audible or tactile alert is played until a dismissal of the data representing the notification is received on the user interface. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the short-range wireless network uses unlicensed spectrum. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the short-range wireless network is a wireless local area network (WLAN), a personal area network (PAN), or a peer-to-peer (P2P) network. 
     
     
       7. A method of notifying a wireless mobile device of contents of a signboard, comprising:
 encoding, by a wireless access point coupled to the signboard, a notification in a vendor-specific information element of a broadcast message to be transmitted on a broadcast channel of a short-range wireless network supported by the wireless access point, wherein the vendor-specific information element is reserved for conveying information other than information defined by a short-range wireless network standard, wherein the vendor-specific information element includes a primary bitmask indicating that the notification is included in the broadcast message and a secondary bitmask representing an index to a lookup table of signboard warning messages on the wireless mobile device, and wherein an entry in the lookup table corresponding to the index represents the contents of the signboard; and 
 broadcasting, by the wireless access point, the notification in the broadcast message on the broadcast channel of the short-range wireless network, 
 wherein the notification being broadcast in the broadcast message transmitted on the broadcast channel of the short-range wireless network enables the wireless mobile device to decode the notification without connecting to the short-range wireless network. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein information identifying the wireless access point and information to enable the wireless mobile device to connect to the short-range wireless network is transmitted on the broadcast channel. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the short-range wireless network uses unlicensed spectrum. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the short-range wireless network is a wireless local area network (WLAN), a personal area network (PAN), or a peer-to-peer (P2P) network. 
     
     
       11. An apparatus for notifying a user of a wireless mobile device of contents of a signboard, comprising:
 a transceiver of the wireless mobile device configured to download a lookup table of signboard warning messages and receive a notification in a vendor-specific information element of a broadcast message transmitted on a broadcast channel of a short-range wireless network, wherein the vendor-specific information element is reserved for conveying information other than information defined by a short-range wireless network standard, wherein the vendor-specific information element includes a primary bitmask indicating that the notification is included in the broadcast message and a secondary bitmask representing an index to the lookup table of signboard warning messages, and wherein an entry in the lookup table corresponding to the index represents the contents of the signboard; 
 at least one processor of the wireless mobile device configured to decode the notification in the broadcast message transmitted on the broadcast channel of the short-range wireless network without connecting to the short-range wireless network; and 
 a user interface of the wireless mobile device configured to provide data representing the notification to the user of the wireless mobile device based on the entry in the lookup table corresponding to the index. 
 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the user interface being configured to provide comprises the user interface being configured to:
 display the data representing the notification on a user interface of the wireless mobile device; and 
 play an audible or tactile alert to alert the user that the data representing the notification is being displayed. 
 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the audible or tactile alert is played until a dismissal of the data representing the notification is received on the user interface. 
     
     
       14. An apparatus for notifying a wireless mobile device of contents of a signboard, comprising:
 at least one processor of a wireless access point coupled to the signboard configured to encode a notification in a vendor-specific information element of a broadcast message to be transmitted on a broadcast channel of a short-range wireless network supported by the wireless access point, wherein the vendor-specific information element is reserved for conveying information other than information defined by a short-range wireless network standard, wherein the vendor-specific information element includes a primary bitmask indicating that the notification is included in the broadcast message and a secondary bitmask representing an index to a lookup table of signboard warning messages on the wireless mobile device, and wherein an entry in the lookup table corresponding to the index represents the contents of the signboard; and 
 a transceiver of the wireless access point configured to broadcast the notification in the broadcast message on the broadcast channel of the short-range wireless network, 
 wherein the notification being broadcast in the broadcast message transmitted on the broadcast channel of the short-range wireless network enables the wireless mobile device to decode the notification without connecting to the short-range wireless network. 
 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein information identifying the wireless access point and information to enable the wireless mobile device to connect to the short-range wireless network is transmitted on the broadcast channel. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the short-range wireless network uses unlicensed spectrum.